Beading dies for flanging and ribbing cylindrical member



E. A. DE VOSS BEADING DIES FOR FLANGING AND RIBBING CYLINDRICAILMEMBER` Filed Sept. 28. 1953 July 15, 1958 United States Patent O READING DIES FOR FLANGING AND RIBBING CYLINDRICAL MEMBER Edwin A. de Voss, Los Angeles, Calif., assigner to Northrop Aircraft, Inc., Hawthorne, Calif., a corporation of California Application September 28, 1953, Serial No. 382,638

2 Claims. (Cl. 153-13) My invention relates to an improved segmental die for anging and beading a metal sleeve in one operation of the forming machine which may be a punch press between the table and movable platen on which the die unit may be mounted.

EXacting tolerances required in production of components for high performing jet-propelled aircraft often preclude the possibility of using a punch press as a fabrication method. As a consequence, certain connectors which are now being manufactured in minutes by virtue of my new improved cam action punch press dies have, in the recent past, necessitated three hours of machining time and the loss of two pounds of metal chips. With my invention the material is completely confined by the dies and the punch which in turn make it possible to accun rately control all the physical dimensions of the completed part. In addition to forming the flange and bead in one operation, the part is completely stripped from the dies on its return stroke, thus allowing for mass producnon.

It is therefore a general object of my invention to provide an improved segmental die for forming a flange and bead in one stroke of the fabricating machine.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved die which will form parts with great accuracy and saving in time and material.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved segmental dieefective to flange and bead a metal sleeve in one stroke of the fabricating machine with great accuracy and remove the part on the return stroke of said machine.

Other objects and uses will become apparent to those skilled in the art in View of the subsequent disclosure and drawings wherein:

Figure l is a front elevation partly in section of my invention showing the sleeve in position and the male die about to enter the upper female die.

Figure l(a) is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing the flange about to be formed on the sleeve.

Figure 2 is a front elevation partly in section showing the engagement of the cams into the upper female die holders.

Figure 3 is a front elevation partly in section showing the ange and bead completely formed and the male die at the end of its downward stroke.

Figure 4 illustrates the finished sleeve after the flange and bead have been formed.

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view along line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Figure 5 (a) is a cross-sectional view along line 5--5 of a sleeve shape which might be formed by altering the configuration of the male and female dies.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one end of the die holders with the cam member engaging the slot of the upper female die holder.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view along line 77 of Figure 8.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view along the line 8-8 of Figure 3.

For a detailed description of my invention, reference is made to the drawings. A bottom die assembly 1 comprising a lower female die portion 2, a base support plate 3 and a secondary plate 4 is firmly held to the bed (not shown) of the forming machine 5, in my embodiment, a punch press, by large clamps 8. Vertical compression springs 9 are seated within partial -plate bores 10 disposed about the periphery of the base support plate 3. Through-bores 11 are provided in the secondary plate 4 to permit the springs 9 to pass through where necessary. Lugs 12 are secured to the upper surface 13 of said secondary plate 4 to hold the lower female die 2 in position relative to plate 4. Abutting the upper end of the springs 9 is the upper support plate 17 for the upper female die assembly 18 having a central through-bore 19 therein. Stripper bolts 20, Figure 6, are extended through counterbored holes 21 in said upper plate 17 and are threadably engaged in tapped holes 22 provided in said secondary plate 4. The upper female die holders 23 are formed in two halves having upper lugs 24 secured therein which exert a downward pressure against the upper femalev dies 2S when said lugs 24 are seated on the die shoulder 29. End flanges 30 are formed in the upper female dies 28 to provide an abutting surface 31 for horizontal retention lugs 32 which are secured to the upper female die holders 23 by screws 33. The stripper bolts 20 ride within semicircular recesses 37 provided in guide blocks 38 fastened to the upper support plate 17 and forming part of the upper die assembly 18. Ways 39 are provided for horizontal movement of the upper die holders 23 with respect to the guide blocks 38. Horizontal compression springs 40, Figure 7, are secured to the Yunderneath surface 41 of the upper support plate 17 by lugs 42 and bear against outer lugs 42a of spring lugs 42 are secured by bolts 43 which pass through slots 44 within the upper support plate 17 and are threadably engaged to the upper die holders 23. The outer ends 48 of said upper die holders 23 are slotted at 49' and engaged by cam members Si) extending downwardly from the press platen 51. The cams 50 are formed to engage the inner wall of slots 49 slowly on initial contact therewith, more rapidly during the intermediate engaging period, and slowly at the termination thereof.

The lower female die 2 is designed to permit parts of different dimensions to be fabricated when the die Vposition is reversed. The upper female dies 28 are provided with peripheral shoulders 52 on the inside surface thereof and shoulders 29 on the outside surface which abut shoulder recesses 57 in the upper die holders 23. The shoulder recesses 5'7 are provided for securing .the dies 28 to the die holders 23. Location and thickness of the peripheral shoulders 52 is dependent on the width of the bead 58 to be formed and distance between the bead 58 and the flange 59 to be formed on the part being fabricated. The upper female dies 28 are seated on the upper support plate 17 and slidable thereon. The lower female die 2 is formed in one piece with a central bore 60 and a counterbore 62 at the upper end of the die 2, the diameter of the counterbore 62 being equal to the diameter of the part being fabricated. A shoulder 65 on the outside surface of the lower die 2 is utilized for clamping the die 2 in place by the lower die lugs 12.

The male die or punch 61 includes a body portion 71 and a shank portion 72, the latter portion being of a size to slip-fit into the bottom pusher die bore 6i). The punch 61 is provided with a shoulder 66' located at the juncture of the body and shank portions 71 and 72, respectively, and having a surface terminating in a radius 67 on which the sleeve 68 may be rounded and thus formed as a flange. to bear against the top surface 70 of the upper dies 28.

The operation of my invention follows. The part to be fabricated, in my embodiment a sleeve 68 to be flanged and beaded, is seated in the counterbore 62 of the bottom pusher die 2. The upper female dies 28 are spread apart due to the outward force exerted by the compression springs 40. As the male die 61 is lowered into the sleeve 68, the cam members 58 engage the slotted portions 49 of the upper female die holders 23, forcing the die holders 23 and the upper dies 28, which are firmly secured thereto by virtue of the clamping action of the upper lugs 24 and the horizontal retention lugs 32, inwardly until the halves of the dies 28 abut one another. The male die flange 69 bears against the upper surface 70 of the female dies 28 and forces the upper female die assembly 18 downwardly. Continuing the male die 61 downwardly causes the vertical springs 9 to depress, and the sleeve 68 to turn outwardly, thus bending around the upper surface of the internal peripheral die shoulder 52 and following the contour of the punch radius 67 until the flanged ends 59 of the sleeve 68 abut the inner surface of the upper dies 28. Further downward movement of the male die 61 and the upper female die assembly 18 will buckle the sleeve 68 in the unsupported area between the upper and lower female dies 28 and 2. When the beaded section 58 is completely formed, the downward movement of the male die 61 and female die assembly 18 is terminated and the upward press stroke begins.

The flange section 59 is the first to be completed during the forming operation due to the mechanical advantage created by the punch radius 67. This condition results in less force being required to form the flange 59 than is required to buckle the sleeve 68 and form the beaded section 58.

The upward stroke of the male die 61 permits the vertical springs 9 to raise the upper form die 28 and the upper support plate 17 until restricted by the stripper bolts 20.

At this point in the operation the sleeve 68 has been caused to travel upwardly along with the upper female die 28 until the sleeve 68 is no longer confined by the .lower female die 2. Further upward movement of the vmale die 61 will result in the separation of the male die 6'1 and the sleeve 68 at which time the cam members S0, which have been moving upwardly with'the male die 61, since both are secured to the platen 51, are disen- A shoulder flange 69 is providedy der thereon, said shoulder formed to deflect one end of said sleeve outwardly over the outer surface of said internal peripheral shoulder of said movable female die, a flange on the male die outward of and around said radiused shoulder, said flange effective to bear against the top surface of said movable female die; upper and lower female die holders releasably secured to said movable and stationary female dies, each of said upper female die holders being provided with slots at one end thereof; a horizontal support plate having a central aperture therein of sufficiently large configuration to permit said stationary female die to extend therethrough, said movable female die and die holders being mounted on said gaged from the die holder slots 49. The die holders 23 and hence the upper female dies 28 which are secured thereto are forced outwardly by virtue of the horizontal compression springs 40. Since the sleeve 68 had already been separated from the lower female die 2 and the male die 61, this outward movement of the upper female die 28 allows the formed sleeve 68 to be readily removed.

While in order to comply with the statute, the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the v invention is not limited to the specific features shown,

but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprises a preferred form of putting the invention into effect, and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. Apparatus of the class described for anging and beading a sleeve in one operation comprising: a movable segmental female die having upper and lower ends and being formed with an internal peripheral shoulder; a stationary female die having upper and lower ends and being counterbored at one end thereof to define an annular shoulder on which the sleeve is bottomed at such times as the flanging and beading operation is being performed on the sleeve; a male die having a radiused shoulplate; guide blocks mounted on said plate and having ways formed thereon, said die holders of the movable female die member being effective to travel laterally on said ways; spring means on which said support plate is seated, said spring means being compressed during the forming operation of said sleeve to allow the lower ends of said movable die to bottom on the upper end of said stationary die to define an annular space directly below said internal peripheral shoulder and between the latter and the upper end of said stationary die and into which the sleeve may buckle during a forming operation; cam members effective to engage said die holder slots and against the inward edge of said slots to urge said movable female die parts and die holders laterally inward to their flange and bead forming position.

2. Apparatus of the class described for anging and beading a metal sleeve in one operation comprising: a movable upper segmental female die having upper and lower ends and being formed with an internal peripheral shoulder and an external shoulder section; a lower stationary female die having upper and lower ends and being counterbored at one end thereof to define an annular shoulder on which the sleeve is bottomed at such times as the flanging and beading operation is being performed on the sleeve and provided with an external shoulder section the movable die member having a bore sufliciently large to telescope over the upper portion of the stationary female die; a male die including a shank portion and a body portion and having a shoulder thereon formed with an annular radius at the juncture of said shank and body portions adapted to bear on and deflect one end of the sleeve outwardly over the outer surface of said internal peripheral shoulder during a forming operation, and a flange at the end thereof most remote from said shank portion, said male die flange effective to bear against the top surface of said upper movable female die when said shank is extended through said upper female die; upper and lower female die holders to which said upper and lower female dies are releasably secured, each of said upper segmental female die holders being slotted at their outer end and recessed at their inner end to provide an arcuate holding shoulder, said lower female die holders similarly formed with a recess to provide a holding shoulder, said holding shoulders effective to bear against said external shoulders of said upper and lower female dies; a movable horizontal support plate having a central aperture therein of sufficiently large configuration to permit said stationary die member to project therethrough, said upper movable female die and said upper female die holders being mounted on said support plate and when moved allows the lower ends of said movable die to bottom on the upper end of said stationary die to define an annular space directly below said internal peripheral shoulder and between the latter and the upper end of said stationary die and into which the sleeve may buckle during a forming operation; guide blocks mounted on said support plate and having ways formed therein, said upper female die holders formed to permit them to travel laterally in said ways; a lower support plate having partial bores therein; vertical coiled compression springs seated within said partial bores, said horizontal support plate being seated 011 said springs; and cam members effective to engage said die holder slots and urge said upper female die and die holders laterally inward to their operative position for anging and beading said sleeve, the male and female die members being adapted to be detachably secured to the table and platen of a punch press.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Kruse Mar. 21, 1916 Mueller Apr. 6, 1920 Shrum Apr. 30, 1929 Kay Nov. 17, 1953 

